Podcast
NeedleXChange
Jamie “Mr X Stitch” Chalmers talks with contemporary embroidery, cross stitch, textile art, and mixed media art creators about how they design their work, build sustainable creative businesses, and stay inspired with a needle and thread.
NeedleXChange shares in‑depth conversations with fiber artists, stitchers, and makers so you can discover new techniques, creative journeys, and the modern needlework scene.
- Visual Arts chart
- #149
- Episodes
- 172
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 38 min
- On air since
- 2023
- Latest episode
- 1 day ago
Episodes
172 episodes, newest first
-
32 min
Lord Libidan - Thread Detective Part 2 [NX157]
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange I continue my interview Lord Libidan, the Yorkshire-based cross stitch designer, blogger and author.
Part 2 is all about the making: his new self-published alphabets book - 110 monochrome patterns, affordable and built to actually be used.
We dig into designing letters inside pixel constraints, inventing a "fake 70s" style AI could never imagine, his book back catalogue (Star Trek to Hello Kitty), and how he juggles Sashiko, a tabletop RPG and the famous Pokémon pattern he’s only now stitching.
It closes on why cross stitch is a genuine obsession: creativity with a grid to hold onto.
Links
• Instagram: lordlibidan
• Website: https://lordlibidan.com
• Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
41 min
Lord Libidan - Thread Detective [NX156]
Episode 156
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Lord Libidan, the Yorkshire-based cross stitch designer, blogger and author.
In Part 1 we trace how a rained-off summer and a tiny Highland cow kit grew into a blog, a design habit and a reputation as the craft’s information guy - then nerd out on threads (scented, glow-in-the-dark, neon and the wool comeback), the quiet DMC/Anchor monopoly, why DMC’s colour numbers make no sense, and what AI slop is doing to cross stitch.
Links
• Instagram: lordlibidan
• Website: https://lordlibidan.com
• Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
25 min
Haf Weighton - Looking Up Part 2 [NX155]
Episode 155
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Haf Weighton, a Wales-based contemporary embroidery and textile artist known for turning place, memory and identity into stitch.
This is part two, where we turn to Wales, starting with Arts Council support and moving into language, cultural identity and what it means to be an artist who happens to be Welsh.
Haf reflects on bilingualism, creativity and belonging, then we get into the practical side of her work: painting on recycled fabric, hand and machine stitch, and a fine-art-led approach to making, before finishing with books, music, films and an unexpected David Bowie story.
Links
• Instagram: Hafweightonartist
• Website: https://hafweighton.art
• Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
31 min
Haf Weighton - Looking Up [NX154]
Episode 154
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Haf Weighton, a Wales-based contemporary embroidery and textile artist whose work is rooted in places, journeys and the details we usually walk past.
We talk about the story behind her High Street exhibition, from Arts Council support to a last-minute route to New Zealand and Australia, and the way travel, memory and architecture feed into her work.
Along the way we get into sketchbooks, unfinished work, borders, looking at familiar places through other people's eyes, and the part artists can play in bringing new energy to overlooked town centres.
Links
• Instagram: Hafweightonartist
• Website: https://hafweighton.art
• Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
38 min
Prisma Andrade: Making the Ordinary Sacred Part 2 [NX153]
Episode 153
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Prisma Andrade, a Chicago-based fiber and textile artist and recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduate whose work turns her family's archive into material and asks what makes something sacred.
Prisma builds her pieces from spinning, jacquard weaving, dye painting and quilting, treating process as a way to make everyday objects sacred.
In Part 2 we trace her path from an arts-magnet high school in Dallas to SAIC, her move from painting into fiber, digital jacquard weaving with laser-cut dyed frames, dye painting and quilting that reads like stained glass, her earlier bodily work, and a quickfire on Sing Street and Magdalena Bay.
Links:
Instagram: prismacolorhell
Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
33 min
Prisma Andrade: Making the Ordinary Sacred [NX152]
Episode 152
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Prisma Andrade, a Chicago-based fiber and textile artist and recent School of the Art Institute of Chicago graduate whose work turns her family's archive into material and asks what makes something sacred.
Prisma recreates artworks and photographs from her family, past and present, using weaving, quilting and dye to disrupt the border between painting and textile.
In Part 1 we get into sanctity and what becomes sacred, how framing tells us to pay attention, her family's migration between Honduras, Spain and the United States, nostalgia and inherited memory, the gender hierarchy inside the family archive, and why textiles are the things that survive the chopping block.
Links:
Instagram: prismacolorhell
Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
53 min
Margot Peer – Wonky in the Right Way Part 2 [NX151]
Episode 151
Show notes
This is Part 2 of my conversation with mixed-media artist Margot Peer.
We open with her breakout piece, "Cross Stitch of Me Crying in My Bathroom When I Was 16," scaled up to a three-foot-by-four-foot, full-body stitching experience in yarn, and the accidental "glitch" of cascading threads that became part of her style.
Margot talks candidly about what it means to sit and stitch your own crying face, the difference between documenting a real cry and performing one, and the low-resolution "loophole" that let a nude piece slip past Instagram.
We also cover animating cross stitch (a six-month stitched video), glow-in-the-dark experiments, needlework's fraught status as fine art at RISD, and a quickfire run through Bladee, Jamie XX, Empire of AI and Where the Wild Things Are.
Links:
Website: https://margotpeer.com
Instagram: margot.peer
Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
https://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
55 min
Masey Kaplan - Loose Ends [NX150]
Episode 150
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Masey Kaplan, founder of the Loose Ends project, a global community that matches volunteer textile finishers with projects left unfinished by death, illness or disability.
Masey launched Loose Ends with a friend after finishing a sweater for a grieving friend; four years on, nearly 40,000 finishers across 83 countries complete everything from quilts to woodworking and return it to the families.
We get into the meditative pull of handwork, kindness between strangers across every divide, the little stitch that marks where one crafter's hands stopped and another's began, and why Masey is building Loose Ends to outlive her.
Links:
Website: https://looseends.org
Instagram: thelooseendsproject
Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNewshttps://www.mrxstitch.com | http://xstitchmag.com
-
38 min
Margot Peer – Wonky in the Right Way [NX149]
Episode 149
Show notes
In this episode of NeedleXChange, I interview Margot Peer, a mixed-media artist and Rhode Island School of Design painting major whose hyperrealistic cross-stitches turn deeply personal photographs into universally resonant images.
In Part 1 we get into her love of glitches, malfunctions and failing technology, how painting became the "trunk" that everything else grows out of, and the first cross stitch that started it all (an Aphex Twin album cover). Margot explains why she treats each stitch pattern as its own language, why she feels like she is "cheating" with a pattern converter, and how a 1930s typewriter-art movement pulled her into breaking the grid.
Links:
Website: https://margotpeer.com
Instagram: margot.peer
Intro music is New Car Smell by Baegel via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
https://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
53 min
REPLAY: Meredith Woolnough | Organic Machine Embroidery [NX008] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #8.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Meredith Woolnough.
Meredith Woolnough is an Australian machine embroidery artist whose organic creations are instantly recognisable and simply stunning. Meredith’s art pieces are celebration of the beauty of nature and at the same time, a technical marvel. We talk about her passion for science and nature, the pleasure she gets from teaching, and how her work is much like darning.
Timestamps:
00:00:15 - Start
00:03:30 - How her artistic journey began
00:07:15 - How Meredith’s technique is like darning
00:12:00 - Her involvement in scientific realms
00:21:00 - The 100 Embroideries Project
00:24:10 - How Meredith juggles art/life/children
00:27:00 - Meredith’s toolset
00:32:00 - Teaching embroidery online
00:42:00 - Favourite Band
00:43:00 - Favourite Podcast
00:45:30 - Favourite Film
00:46:15 - Favourite Book
00:48:00 - Interesting fact that no one knows about Meredith Woolnough
Links:
Website: http://meredithwoolnough.com.au
Instagram: meredithwoolnough
Intro music is Let's Go Find The Sun by Sarah the Illstrumentalist via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
46 min
REPLAY: Peter Frederiksen - Tension In His Stitches Part 2 [NX064] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #64.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Peter Frederiksen.
Peter Frederiksen is a Chicago-based artist whose machine embroidered cartoon vignettes are filled with tension and dark humour. In this second part of our NeedleXChange we talk about the craft of old school animation, the joys of living in Chicago and why Peter's titles are in important part of his work. Oh, and he confesses a secret that you'll want to listen to the end for!
If you like machine embroidery, then be sure to check out Julie Heaton's episode.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:00 - The Formulaic Nature of Cartoons
00:03:06 - Open-Ended Narratives in Art
00:05:09 - The Impact of Chicago on Artistic Expression
00:13:45 - The Importance of Titles in Art
00:20:03 - Reflections on Furniture and Emotional Spaces
00:24:45 - Peter’s Favourite Band
00:31:09 - Peter’s Favourite Films
00:37:46 - Literary Preferences and Influential Books
00:43:15 - A fact (or two) that not many people know about Peter Frederiksen
Links:
Website: http://pefrederiksen.com
Instagram: pefrederiksen
Intro music is 222 by Sarah the Illstrumentalist via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
45 min
REPLAY: Peter Frederiksen - Tension In His Stitches [NX063] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #63.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Peter Frederiksen.
Peter Frederiksen is a Chicago-based artist whose machine embroidered cartoon vignettes are filled with tension and dark humour. In this first part of our NeedleXChange we talk about how this particular combination of form and content has become Peter's signature style and how he shines a light on a culture we take for granted.
If you like machine embroidery, then be sure to check out Julie Heaton's episode.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:00 - Exploring Motion and Action in Art
00:07:59 - The Evolution of Peter's Artistic Style
00:10:58 - The Journey into Stitching and Embroidery
00:13:58 - Early Experiences and Influences in Art
00:17:08 - The Shift to Machine Embroidery
00:19:55 - Themes of Violence and Nostalgia in Animation
00:34:34 - Exploring the Humour in Classic Cartoons
00:38:12 - The Evolution of Animation Styles
Links:
Website: http://pefrederiksen.com
Instagram: pefrederiksen
Intro music is 222 by Sarah the Illstrumentalist via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
47 min
REPLAY: Stephanie Kelly Clark - Life Is Art Part 2 [NX087] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #87.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Stephanie Kelly Clark.
Stephanie is a contemporary embroidery artist whose work transforms humble homes and everyday moments into rich visual stories stitched with painterly precision. In this first part of our conversation, we explore her creative upbringing, the role of art in parenting, and her evolving relationship with embroidery as a medium. From homemade Halloween costumes to thread-based storytelling, Stephanie shares how her domestic life and artistic journey are deeply intertwined.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:08:30 – Exploring Storytelling Through Art
00:11:45 – The Journey into 3D Embroidery
00:15:43 – Nature as Inspiration: The Life Cycle in Art
00:20:02 – The Intersection of Art and Music
00:26:31 – Nostalgia and Personal Connections in Film
00:31:06 – Comedy: A Reflection of Life and Art
00:35:51 – The Challenge of Reading and Learning
00:37:49 – Unexpected Talents and Personal Stories
Links:
Website: stephaniekclark
Instagram: artiststephaniekellyclark
Intro music is Sunset by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
31 min
REPLAY: Stephanie Kelly Clark - Life Is Art [NX086] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #86.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Stephanie Kelly Clark.
Stephanie is a contemporary embroidery artist whose work transforms humble homes and everyday moments into rich visual stories stitched with painterly precision. In this first part of our conversation, we explore her creative upbringing, the role of art in parenting, and her evolving relationship with embroidery as a medium. From homemade Halloween costumes to thread-based storytelling, Stephanie shares how her domestic life and artistic journey are deeply intertwined.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:29 – Life as Art: Parenting and Creativity
00:10:25 – Artistic Process: From Painting to Embroidery
00:13:34 – The Evolution of an Artist: Finding One's Voice
00:16:18 – Contemporary Art vs. Craft: Defining the Medium
00:19:27 – Conceptualising Art: The Role of Medium in Storytelling
00:22:39 – The Journey of an Artist: Embracing Change and Growth
00:25:42 – Creating with Intention: The Importance of Composition
Links:
Website: stephaniekclark
Instagram: artiststephaniekellyclark
Intro music is Sunset by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
49 min
REPLAY: Orly Cogan - Modern Fictions Part 2 [NX034] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #[].
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Orly Cogan.
Orly Cogan is a New York-based textile artist whose embroidered fabrics contain other-worldly images of modern concepts with a dream-like twist.
In this second part of our NeedleXChange we discover Orly's creative process, how she explores power dynamics in her work, as well as her favourite music/podcasts/books and a heartfelt interesting fact.
Come back next week an interview with a new artist and if you enjoy NeedleXChange, a review on your favourite podcast platform would be wonderful.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:39 Change in Artwork after Motherhood
00:09:15 Depicting Intimate Relationships in Art
00:13:01 Exploring Feminine Archetypes in Art
00:16:42 Orly Cogan's Creative Process
00:19:29 Experimentation with Different Mediums
00:22:09 Orly Cogan's Musical Preferences
00:23:44 Orly’s Favourite Podcasts and Listening Habits
00:27:09 Orly’s Dyslexia
00:30:41 The last good film Orly Cogan watched
00:41:18 An interesting fact that no one knows about Orly Cogan
Links:
Website: http://orlycogan.com
Instagram: orlycogan
Intro music is Her Name is Edith by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
38 min
REPLAY: Orly Cogan - Modern Fictions [NX033] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #33.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Orly Cogan.
Orly Cogan is a New York-based textile artist whose embroidered fabrics contain other-worldly images of modern concepts with a dream-like twist.
In this first part of our NeedleXChange we find out how Orly came to needlework, how her work ties in with the modern art scene and we discover possibly the greatest parenting trick ever.
Come back next week for the second part of our chat!
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:50 Control and Vulnerability in Art and Conversation
00:12:15 Notebooks, Sketchbooks, and Inspiration
00:14:20 The Greatest Parenting Trick Ever
00:18:40 Influences from Childhood and Transition to Fiber Art
00:24:00 Validation and Representation in the Art World
Links:
Website: http://orlycogan.com
Instagram: orlycogan
Intro music is Her Name is Edith by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
1 hr 5 min
REPLAY: Diana Weymar - Pricks of Inspiration Part 2 [NX056] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #56.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diana Weymar.
Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project, a collaborative needlework project that immortalises quotes from Donald Trump as a crowdsourced documentary of an unusual part of American history. Diana is the author of Crafting A Better World, a book focusing on collaborative craftivism which is a great addition to your craft library and one of the topics in this second part of our XChange!.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:45 - How Inspiration Strikes
00:09:17 - Navigating the Challenges of Social Media
00:23:45 - Crafting a Better World: How Diana’s Book Came To Be
00:35:45 - Lessons Learned From Making Her Book
00:39:01 - Craftivism as a Time Capsule: Care and Maintenance in Challenging Times
00:45:45 - Favourite Album/Book/Film
00:58:05 - An interesting fact that not a lot of people know about Diana Weymar
Links:
Website: http://tinypricksproject.com
Instagram: tinypricksproject
Intro music is Her Name Is Edith by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
43 min
REPLAY: Diana Weymar - Pricks of Inspiration [NX055] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #55.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview Diana Weymar.
Diana Weymar is an embroidery artist and curator, and founder of the Tiny Pricks project, a collaborative needlework project that immortalises quotes from Donald Trump as a crowdsourced documentary of an unusual part of American history. Diana is the author of Crafting A Better World, a book focusing on collaborative craftivism which is a great addition to your craft library.
In this first part of our NeedleXChange we talk about how the Tiny Pricks project came to be, evolving from a personal project to a collective form of embroidered therapy for many people, and the surprise of it being a project that continues to this day.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:10 - The Tiny Pricks Project: From Fun to Momentum
00:11:32 - Stitching That Which Resonates
00:18:12 - “I Am A Very Stable Genius” - How Tiny Pricks began
00:35:56 - Building a Safe and Supportive Community
Links:
Website: http://tinypricksproject.com
Instagram: tinypricksproject
Intro music is Her Name Is Edith by OTE via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
38 min
REPLAY: John Thomas Paradiso | Exotic Embroiderings Part 2 [NX012] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #12.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview John Thomas Paradiso.
John Thomas Paradiso is a Washington-based artist who has been exploring the intimacy of gay culture through needlework for over 30 years.
Using hand embroidered quilting techniques, working on surfaces including leather and suede, and using traditional materials like doilies to mask the graphic parts of his subjects, John’s work treads the line between pornography and personal portraiture. His art is unapologetic in its openness and his expressions of the passion of gay love are both sensitive and sensational.
In our NeedleXChange we talk about how John’s artistic career has run alongside the timeline of the HIV pandemic, the value in re-appropriating homophobic slurs, and how his art has defined his own queer identity.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:38 - How John’s subjects come into being
00:04:00 - Why John hand quilts his work
00:08:00 - The challenge of entering into quilt shows
00:16:00 - How John honours his feminine side and strives for masculinity
00:21:00 - Reflecting on his earlier work
00:23:00 - John’s definition of success
00:25:15 - Favourite Album
00:26:55 - Favourite Book
00:29:26 - Favourite Film
00:33:00 - John’s reflections on working in the care sector
Links:
Website: http://john-paradiso.com
Instagram: john_paradiso_artist
Intro music is Let's Go Find The Sun by Sarah the Illstrumentalist via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
-
32 min
REPLAY: John Thomas Paradiso | Exotic Embroiderings [NX011] Bonus
Show notes
It's the school summer holidays and I'm taking a break. So instead of new chats, I'm replaying some of my old favourites!
This is a repeat of episode #11.
In this episode of NeedleXChange I interview John Thomas Paradiso.
John Thomas Paradiso is a Washington-based artist who has been exploring the intimacy of gay culture through needlework for over 30 years.
Using hand embroidered quilting techniques, working on surfaces including leather and suede, and using traditional materials like doilies to mask the graphic parts of his subjects, John’s work treads the line between pornography and personal portraiture. His art is unapologetic in its openness and his expressions of the passion of gay love are both sensitive and sensational.
In our NeedleXChange we talk about how John’s artistic career has run alongside the timeline of the HIV pandemic, the value in re-appropriating homophobic slurs, and how his art has defined his own queer identity.
Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:38 - John’s award winning piece- The Prince of Pansies
00:07:00 - John’s early photography work
00:10:20 - How John’s work ran alongside the AIDS epidemic
00:13:00 - The current state of HIV & AIDS
00:15:24 - John’s transition into textiles
00:20:24 - The power of pansies
00:22:00 - Reclaiming slurs
00:26:45 - How textiles makes graphic work easier to consume
Links:
Website: http://john-paradiso.com
Instagram: john_paradiso_artist
Intro music is Let's Go Find The Sun by Sarah the Illstrumentalist via Epidemic Sound.
About NeedleXChange
An artist interview podcast exploring contemporary embroidery and textile art. Hosted by Jamie "Mr X Stitch" Chalmers.
Stay Connected
http://needl.exchange | Newsletter: https://bit.ly/NeedleXChangeNews
Visual Arts lists
More Visual Arts shows picked out from the charts
More in Visual Arts
Placed highest on Apple Podcasts' Visual Arts chart right now